⎯ The Plejaden pool in Amsterdam-Tuindorp is being prepared for the next sunny season.

05.03.2015 → 16.03.2016

Not until the first of May

— PADDLING POOLS IN AMSTERDAM - NL

Amsterdam has a widespread phenomenon: het pierenbadje, the paddling pool. Derived from the Dutch word 'pieren', which means making fun, it's a pool where children can splash and play to their hearts content.

The paddling pool was originally conceived at a time when Amsterdam had only private playground associations and there were countless children in the working class neighborhoods which had to seek entertainment elsewhere. The oldest pool dates from 1954 and today, almost every park has it's own paddling pool and they are also to be found amidst neighborhoods and districts.

Admission is free, but the opening hours are subject to strict regulations: not open before May 1-st and all pools must be drained again by the 1-st of October. And in addition to that, daytime temperatures should not drop lower than 21 degrees Celsius.

This series was made in the spring of 2015. All the pools are still empty, they are cleaned and refurbished. It's almost May 1-st!